Dagestan again trimmed by influential corrupt officials

19.05.2016

In the house of one of the most iconic and influential people of Dagestan – the former public Prosecutor and former mayor of Derbent, Imam Yaraliev – searched. Yaraliyev is the leader of the local Lezgins living near the Azerbaijani border. As stated, it could be related to the huge income generated by the customs points on the border river Samur.

Law enforcement officers in Dagestan Derbent on Wednesday raided the house of the former mayor of Imam Yaraliev, said a source in power structures skfo. The searches also take place in two apartments eralieva in Makhachkala, at the cottage in the village of Arablink and in the house in the village of Ashaghi-Became.

“Many in the Dagestani elites were forced to commit acts, which on closer examination can be qualified as criminal”

“This morning security forces surrounded the Imam’s house eralieva, they conduct a search there under the previous criminal case against Yaraliev”, – said the source TASS. According to him, all actions are carried out by power structures skfo, representatives of law enforcement bodies of Dagestan in operations are not involved.

In the past year against Yaraliev was a criminal case under article “Excess of powers of office”. The ex-mayor is suspected that in 2014, illegally transferred about 1.5 thousand square meters of land from Federal to municipal property caused to the state damage for the sum more than 36 million rubles.

“Interfax” citing a source in law enforcement bodies of Dagestan added that also searched the house of the brother of the former mayor. In turn, another source in law enforcement bodies reported that the security forces check the information about the involvement of relatives and former head of the city for the actions of an illegal armed formation.

The REN TV channel, citing witnesses even declared that “when the storming of the apartment eralieva began to return fire, which killed two police officers”.

However, this news was soon denied Kavpolit. “Nothing like it was. The only thing – was a half-hour delay, caused by the fact that yaraliyev barricaded himself in his house, which is located in the village of Arablink (Derbent district). The reason I don’t know, didn’t want to search. Some of the fire, the shootings were not. It was a small force probably knocked the door. As a result, the special forces went in there and the search was conducted”, – told the portal another witness – a local journalist Magomed Magomedov.

“In addition, the storm and the search does not participate neither the Dagestani police. The power cover provides feesbeshny special forces from Moscow. And the investigators – from Pyatigorsk and Yessentuki, that is, of the TFR in the North Caucasus Federal district,” – said Magomedov.

However, towards evening the source TASS admitted that nothing criminal during the searches was not found. The discovered weapons were presented to all relevant documents.

Experts do not exclude that some new dirt on eralieva the security forces could give its competitors are interested in removing this influential figures on the eve of elections. “Obviously, against the background of the election campaign has begun a serious struggle within the Dagestani elite over the nomination of their candidates to the Duma and people’s Assembly of Dagestan”, – said in an interview with the newspaper VIEW Director of the Centre for strategic studies of religion and politics of the modern world, a member of the Council on human rights (HRC) Maxim Shevchenko.

“Many in the Dagestani elites were forced to commit acts, which on closer examination can be qualified as criminal. Yaraliyev was a Prosecutor, and prosecutors we have – it’s such an informal caste. In addition, he is considered a leader of the Lezgin minority in the South of Dagestan”, – said the analyst. In his opinion, the border with Azerbaijan areas remain an area of strong rivalry between influential Lezghian entrepreneurs who are based in Derbent, with the influential Azerbaijanis, who are based in Baku and, again, in Derbent.

“Customs points on the border river Samur is the “Golden bridge” to Azerbaijan. Shadow income Samur bridge is incredibly high. There is a tough fight for a place under the sun, for leverage. My hypothesis – as a Prosecutor and influential man, yaraliyev could be relevant to the theme of “the Golden bridge”. All of this together and may be associated with the current “operational activities” in the house of Imam jaraliev”, – concluded Shevchenko.

Recall that over the past year Dagestan has experienced a strong purge – were denounced, arrested or dismissed from several “authoritative” figures. So, got a life sentence the former mayor of Makhachkala said Amirov declared internationally wanted the former head of the Pension Fund, sagid Murtazaliyev. He lost his position and Saigidpasha Umakhanov, 18 years head of Khasavyurt. However, he moved to the post of the Chairman of the city Council. During the same cleaning in August, lost the post of mayor of Derbent, Imam yaraliyev.

“The real leader of the Lezgin people is billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, – said in an interview with the newspaper VIEW one of the residents of Derbent, a representative of the Lezgin minority. – As for eralieva, he never was some kind of strong charisma, a clear position. We did not consider his people’s leader. It is believed that Ramazan Abdulatipov, the head of the Republic, was very dissatisfied with how the city was preparing for the 2000th anniversary, for the anniversary, which was celebrated in the fall, and that is why he was removed as mayor just a month before the anniversary. So today, among the Lezgins in the city don’t hear any talk about searches in the house eralieva. It is a little interested”.

In August at a meeting with PresidentVladimir Putin the head of the Republic Ramazan Abdulatipov announced out loud about what many already knew – before among managers in Dagestan was dominated by “solid collaboration” with terrorists and bandits. Therefore, to defeat the banditry was not possible for decades.